After Years and Years of Asking and Asking and Asking
by Forever-Tangled
Summary: ...She finally says yes. After Eugene returns from a minor war, he tries proposing to the brunette princess named Rapunzel one more time. Fluffy, but rated T just in case. Disclaimer: I don't own Tangled.
1. Chapter 1

With a gasp, she flew upright in bed, heart racing. That _stupid _dream again! Rapunzel had known Eugene for a year and a half now, but for five months of which, he had been in another country, fighting a minor war against the faraway kingdom of Alvah. He had only been sent out because the Captain had been unable to be deployed. After he had been injured (badly spraining a leg as well as a few ribs, he was lucky, really), he had been sent home upon recovery from the leg injury. Rapunzel had been the first to welcome Eugene home off of the ship last week, giving him a firm kiss and a hug that hurt his still-bruised ribs.

Even though she knew the ex-thief was safe back in the castle, her nightmares remained every night. She was just so afraid of losing him.  
Glancing to her side, she saw that Pascal was still fast asleep on her pillow, so she wouldn't wake him. So tonight, she grabbed her light pink robe, tugging it on as she padded down the hallway of the castle. She was intending to go to her parents' room, looking for comfort, but when she saw a dim light coming from the library, she hurried towards it, expecting to see her father, who often read late into the night.  
As she stood in the doorway into the library, she saw Eugene's familiar face instead.  
"Eugene?" she asked softly, peeking in to watch his face. He was sitting on an over-stuffed chair, completely involved in the book he was reading. A candle flickered on the table beside him, and she saw that his eyes were dancing with excitement from whatever he was reading. She hated to interrupt him, so she just stood in the doorway and watched him - she was perfectly content doing that as well!  
Soon, though, he caught sight of her, and closed the thick book over his finger before he rose.  
"Hey...it's three in the morning, what's a beautiful princess like you doing up?" he greeted her teasingly. In all honesty, he was happy to see her. She might unknowingly provide some comfort to him from the nightmares _he _had had that night.  
She bit her lip, feeling silly for even mentioning it. The man had been through a war - would he laugh at her? "Nightmare..."  
He sighed. "Again?" He knew she had been having nightmares about him.  
"Again," she sighed, too, and he turned to set his book down before holding his arms out, walking towards her.  
She wordlessly slipped into his arms, hugging him with all her might. He rubbed her back comfortingly, waiting for her to talk. After a few minutes, she did, mumbling into his shoulder. "So...what were you reading?"  
"Only my favorite book ever," he told her with bated breath. Sure enough, she pulled away and gave him a huge smile. "Read with me?"

Her eyes lit up, so he pulled her over to the chair. She knelt by his feet, leaning her chin on his knee like the small children at the orphanage used to do when he would read the same book to them - _The Tales of Flynnigan Rider. _  
He ran his hand through her hair before going back to the beginning of the book again, reading aloud from the start.  
Eugene read until he felt her head grow heavy on his knee, and then he looked down to see she had fallen asleep. Sighing, he realized he needed to go to bed as well, even though nightmares from the fight awaited him too. After setting the book down, he snuffed the candle with his fingers before scooping her up in his arms. His ribs were still tender, and smarted with picking up the sleeping princess, but he ignored the pain as he carried her back to her room. He nudged the thick door open with his toe before he carried her over to the bed, setting her gently on the huge mattress. Pascal gave him a glare, disgusted with having been woken up, before curling his tail around himself and going back to sleep.

Eugene took a deep, quiet breath, watching the brunette sleep. Being in that war, his first one, made him realize how much he wanted a family, wanted to wake up every morning to see her sleeping face. But if she wasn't ready...she wasn't ready, and he would wait. He'd proposed three times before he went to war, only to have them all turned down. Maybe he'd ask her again soon. He tucked the blanket up to her chin, letting his hand linger on her shoulder for a second. He was dragging his feet, farming it out as long as possible before he had to go back to bed himself, go back to the bad memories.  
Just as he turned to leave her room, he heard footfalls coming, a dim light bouncing closer on the hall walls.  
He hurried to slip out of her bedroom, but the King knew where he'd been. He gave the ex-thief a sharp glare that made him feel like a small child.  
He shrank into himself, but met the King's piercing blue eyes to say, "Sir, she woke up and came to the library, where I was already at. We read until she fell asleep, and I didn't want to leave her in there. That's all." His face heated up with embarrassment.  
"I certainly hope so, Mr. Fitzherbert," the King said.  
"Eugene, please, sir," he felt uncomfortable being called by his last name. It made him feel like he was in trouble.  
"I'll call you Eugene when you stop calling me the King or sir and call me James. First-name basis agreement," the King offered, realizing how much he intimidated the young man. While he didn't _mind _appearing intimidating to the man, he also didn't want Eugene creeping around as though he was going to be beheaded simply for breathing.  
"O-okay, si-er...James," Eugene mumbled.  
"I've been hearing a lot of creeping around at night this past week...have you been having nightmares? I know Rapunzel has been, but that's different," he asked, softening.  
"Yes, s-James. I apologize, I will attempt to walk quieter from-"  
"That is no problem. I apologize for sending you out there, but the Captain's position needed filled; and once you marry, we will ensure that you never engage in wars again, unless a war breaks out that absolutely requires sending you out," he said.  
Eugene nodded. "Thank you, sir. Or...James."  
He chuckled. "When do you plan on proposing again?"  
_WHAT?  
_One minute, the King was interrogating him, and the next, he was asking for his newest proposal plans! Good grief.  
"I-um...t-tomorrow? I might talk to her tomorrow. I don't want to...no, I _won't_-rush her."  
"That is one thing I value in you, Eugene," the King offered. "So, let us keep it that way."  
"I will."  
"Now, I will let you get back to bed, or wherever you were headed before,"  
"Thank you. Good night-" Eugene broke off, realizing how weird that had sounded. _Had _it sounded weird? Four o'clock in the morning was not the best time to try and talk properly.  
The King stared at him a minute before shaking his head and returning what Eugene had just told him.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Rapunzel had lessons, and by the time she was finished with them, it was absolutely pouring rain outside. Eugene had been planning to propose outside, (kind of because she'd spent 18 years locked inside, but also because she just loved the outdoors), so he made plans to propose to her the next day.

That night, memories of guns and cannons blazing haunted Eugene's sleep. He woke up yelling, much to his display. That was a first.  
Within seconds, the King, Queen, and Rapunzel were crowding into his bedroom. Rapunzel had her frying pan, and looked simply terrified. Their faces were illuminated harshly by the candles they carried, and the Queen held a stern expression as she surveyed the room before swinging back to look at Eugene.  
"What happened, Mr. Fitzherbert?"  
"Nightmare. Sorry," he cleared his throat, embarrassed.  
She gave him a quick, understanding nod, the King gave him a knowing look, and then they left the room. Rapunzel hung back, waiting for her parents to leave, but then her father came back, taking her arm and gently guiding her from the room - or at least trying to.  
She pulled away, shaking her head. "I want to stay with him for a little while,"  
"You need rest-"  
"He comforted me last night when I had a bad dream, so I should do the same for him!" Rapunzel exclaimed. "Please?"  
Her father sighed, giving Eugene that familiar _look _before leaving, taking Rapunzel's frying pan as he left.  
As soon as they were alone, Rapunzel wrapped her robe tighter around herself as she hurried to his side of the bed.  
"You were screaming...you never scream. Not like that, anyway," she said quietly, peering at him with concern under her thick black lashes.  
He sighed, moving away from the edge of the bed and sitting up. He wasn't getting out of talking to her, he knew that. She perched on the edge of his bed, staring expectantly at him as she set her candle carefully on the table at his bedside.  
"I've been dreaming about the fighting. It was so bad...so bad. It was my first time, and hopefully my last. I don't ever want to see that again. It made me think about the things I never told you, and how some of the guards never got to come home," he gulped.  
She nodded sadly. "I hope you never have to go again, either. I heard stories that some of the guards told, and it sounded awful."  
"They might've embellished some, but it _was_ awful," he confirmed.  
After an awkward silence, Rapunzel reached to scrub her fingers through his hair, making some comment about how messy it was.  
"Hey, you should see _your _hair, Princess!" he joked, reaching to make her hair even messier. She giggled, staying just out of reach, but then her gaze dropped to his bare torso.  
He hadn't remembered until now that he had fallen asleep without a shirt on, and when he did, his eyes widened in horror. Good grief. "Oh, uh...sorr-"  
"Are the scars...from the war?" she asked quietly, reaching to trace a particularly long scar that started at the end of his ribcage and traveled halfway up his torso. He shrank away from her cool finger, nodding.  
"Yeah. Can you, uh, toss me the shirt that's at the foot of the bed, please?"  
She nodded, snagging and handing the shirt over to him, watching as he pulled the ivory fabric over his head, messing his hair up even more.  
They sat quietly for another minute or two, until Eugene spoke up.  
"Do you have lessons tomorrow?"  
"Nope!" she smiled. "I love learning, but...I don't like sitting through lessons if I already know what they're trying to teach me. There's been a lot of that lately."  
He chuckled. "How about a walk in the garden with your favorite thief?"  
"Oh, who might that be? I don't know any _current_ thieves. And-" he gave her a gentle shove to make her quiet teasing, and she giggled. "Yes, Eugene, you didn't even have to ask!"  
When she stood, she turned to lean down and wrap her arms around his neck. He hugged her back, and she stayed in his arms for a few minutes.  
"You going to be okay?" she asked quietly.  
"Yes...I promise," he said. The nightmares _would _go away someday, wouldn't they? "Sorry for waking you all."  
He added a quick peck on her cheek for good measure, and she returned it before pulling away from him.  
"Okay, good night. I'll see you tomorrow!" she took the candle from his nightstand, giving him a bit of a smile before she turned to go.  
Halfway across the room, though, she spun around on her heel to face him once more. She had to tell him this. She'd never told him -hinted, yes, and she was pretty sure he knew anyway, but why not stop trying to hint at it and just say it flat out?  
"I love you. I-I never told you..." she gulped, her face pinched with uncertainty.  
Eugene gave her a smile, relieved. That was the best thing he'd heard in awhile. "Love you, too, beautiful Princess. That's one thing I constantly worried about getting home to tell you."  
She smiled her cute, shy little smile, and then left to her bedroom, thinking quickly.

After blowing out her candle, discarding her robe on the floor, and flopping into her bed, she curled up excitedly under the blanket. She couldn't wait until tomorrow, and she was so excited that she'd finally told him flat out that she loved him. She also wondered when he would propose next...maybe he was even gunshy of proposing, since she'd refused him three times already. Of course, he knew they would marry someday - they were best friends, and practically joined at the hip whenever they were able to spend time together, for goodness' sake!-but she was sure that being turned down three times had put a damper on his willingness to ask. She was almost anxious for him _to _propose, now...since the war. When he was gone, all she could think about was that maybe, just maybe, if they had been married already, with Eugene as the future King of Corona, he wouldn't have been sent out there at all. She felt...different now. The thought of being married before had quite frankly terrified her, but now she felt excited just at the mere thought of having him as her husband. She was ready for a new chapter in her life, to complete a dream she knew they both shared.  
_Oh, well, _she decided with a small smile, burrowing under her covers further, _someday he will propose again, and I'll accept. _


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, at ten in the morning, Rapunzel bounced along beside Eugene, thrilled with his company. She wore a pretty, pale green dress, and was barefoot-as was her norm. She chattered on and on about the flowers that were in full bloom, and after about half an hour, they settled to just walking quietly, enjoying each others' company. They neared a bench, and, thinking quickly, Eugene asked if she wanted to sit for a few minutes.  
"Sure," she grinned, slipping her hand comfortably into his, noticing that there were a few more callouses on his hand.  
They sat on the cool stone bench, and he took a deep breath, turning to meet her eyes. His heart was pounding so hard, he wondered if she could hear it. Just looking at her huge green eyes made his heart melt, and he cleared his throat, sucking in another nervous breath.  
"Rapunzel, I, uh...I know I've asked this before, but it never gets any less nerve-wracking for me. And if you're not ready yet, it's okay. I'm content to wait. But...I just felt like I needed to ask again. Since I was away, I just realized exactly how much I want a family - how much I want _you. _I-I always knew I loved you, but...I found out exactly how much I did when I thought, at one point, that I wouldn't be coming back. I want to wake up and see your sweet face every morning -and your messy hair, which, by the way, is pretty cute, even if I tease you about it. And someday, kids..." he mumbled the last part. "So...there's so much I want to tell you, but I'll leave it at this. Do you want to accomplish a dream we both have, so we can think up new ones together?"  
She beamed up at him. The moment had finally come. After five months of being afraid he wouldn't come back, he was home...and she was going to marry him.  
"Yes, Eugene...of course."  
His eyes widened. "You...y-yes?" She giggled. "Yes, silly."  
"Well, do you even blame me for being surprised? You've turned me down three times!" Eugene teased indignantly.  
She rolled her eyes. "I just wasn't ready yet, and you know that."  
"I know," he nodded, almost dropping the simple silver ring as he hastily pulled it out of his pocket, slipping it onto her finger. After that, he rolled his brown eyes up to meet her emerald ones, giving her a grin as it sank in. For once, the ever-smooth Eugene Fitzherbert couldn't even speak. She couldn't, either, actually, so she just threw her arms around him and hugged him happily. When she let go of him, he managed to spit a logical sentence out.  
"I'm surprised you aren't babbling away with wedding plans. Assuming Maximus and Pascal will have something to do with the wedding?"  
She laughed. "I want to enjoy today, to take it all in. But actually, having Max and Pascal involved in the ceremony is a wonderful idea!"  
_Oh no. _What had he just suggested? "I-uh..."  
"Of course we'll have them! Pascal can be the flower-chameleon, and Maximus would be the ring-bearer, of course. It works perfectly!" She gasped, thinking about how adorable Pascal would be, tossing flowers as he clung onto Maximus's bridle. Maximus, of course, would be honored to be the ring-bearer, and she just _knew _he would be careful and not lose the rings.

A chameleon throwing flowers and a horse carrying the wedding bands didn't seem like a perfect idea to Eugene, but he would go with it if that's what she so desired.  
"How long have you carried that ring around?" she asked, reaching to lace her fingers with his.  
"Probably a little over a year," he shrugged. "I paid for it, mind you...first paycheck from when I worked for that wood shop."  
She laughed. "I'm glad to hear that I'm not wearing a piece of stolen jewelry."  
He gave her a classic grin of his, a teasing gleam coming into his eyes.  
"So...no kiss? I've spent a year and a half waiting for this moment, and I don't even get a kiss!"  
"Well, you didn't tell me we should kiss!" she said, giving him a playful swat to the forearm, accompanied quickly by a pout. "Who's to say I didn't want to kiss you, but didn't know if I should or not?"  
"Well, nobody told you that you had to kiss me in order to welcome me home, but you did anyway," he reminded her, but she didn't get to reply to him, because he pulled her into a warm kiss.


End file.
